Just Finished Reading: The King’s Witch by Tracy Borman (FP: 2018) [437pp] 

England, 1603. With the death of the old Queen and the arrival of the new King from Scotland, Frances Gorges was happy to be away from court and on her parent's country estate. Unfortunately for Frances her uncle and family patriarch had other ideas. Looking to his own position at the new court he wanted Frances to present herself and be in a position to marry someone who could bolster his position with the Stewart royal house. But times and attitudes had changed since the death of Elizabeth. No longer shying away from having a window into the hearts (and beliefs) of the sovereign's subjects, King James will no longer tolerate dissent from the Protestant religion and will most certainly not tolerate any hint of witchcraft in his new realm. Even the mere accusation of witchcraft can be enough to result in the torture and death of the unfortunate individual – no matter their status or connection. How witchcraft is defined by those with the authority and power to do so allows it to be used as a weapon to discredit or depose of anyone seen as ‘trouble’ or as a potential rival at court. Frances herself has much to be worried about. Already known as a proficient healer, her skills open her to the charge of congress with the diabolical. One bright light in her life is the growing relationship with Thomas Wintour, a lawyer with connections to the Queen. But there is a mysterious side to Thomas that Frances struggles with and she is right to be concerned – for Thomas is involved in a plot that will echo down the ages, a plot with the distinctive smell of gunpowder. 

This was a nice change of pace from my recent reading. Although it started slowly at first the pace picked up about a quarter way in, and then breezed along at a reasonable speed. I did find the title a bit of a misnomer though, just a tad misleading. For one thing Frances wasn’t actually a witch though she was, briefly, accused of such because of her healing skills. Although this was the basis of her accusation the witchcraft itself was only a way of attacking her (without the requirement of actual evidence) as a way of getting at her parents. Everyone involved actually knew that no real witchcraft was taking place. Putting that aside though, the actual novel was rather well done. Characterisation all round was solid and definitely believable. The court of James I felt real and chimed with what I had heard from other sources – often offensively decadent and flamboyant – and James's oppression of the Catholics, which gave rise to the infamous Gunpowder Plot, shone through the narrative from the start. It seemed, with reason, that almost everyone who met James I eventually wanted to see him dead. If half of what transpired in this novel was true I can see why. I’m only aware of the highlights (or would that be low lights?) of the Stewart dynasty so it was good to see some of it fleshed out – even in fiction – and it has prompted me to read more about the whole period. I was particularly intrigued by the depiction of James’ wife – Anne of Denmark. I need to see if there’s a good biography of her. I was also going to schedule something about the Civil War (caused by James' son Charles) anyway and this has given me extra reason to do so. I’ll also see if I can schedule something about the ‘Glorious Revolution’ (involving James’ grandson – also Charles!). Overall, this was a solid, interesting and informative read and I’ll be checking out the rest of the series at some point. Recommended.